kaciscott's review against another edition
3.0
Where can I even start with this book?
I decided to surprise myself and take on a whole new type of genre.
With so much hype surrounding this book, I was desperate to see what the fuss was about and whether or not this could possibly be a new author for me. Plus that cover - stunning!
I took this fantasy location as based upon Eastern civilisation under occupation by a foreign government.
We follow Jebi, a non-binary artist (the use of pro-nouns to describe the character was fantastic and very much inclusive) and I enjoyed the fact that this was an ordinary person who simply found that they’d jumped a little too deep and were in other their head - something we don’t see that often in fantasy as the MC is usually magical or sting.
I found Jebi hard to connect with and even coming to the end of the book, I still never had a huge connection with them.
There was an ugly side to the book in regards to oppression but that seems to be normal trend in today’s real world so I can fully understand why it was there. It really makes you stop and think, not about the fantasy in the book but about our own reality.
There wasn’t much in a way of building the magic system and I’d have loved to have spent more time getting to understand the sigils which could bring objects to life.
For the first third of the book, I was nervous as I didn’t know where the plot was going or if there even was much of a plot there. But hang in there - it does get better. I guess I’m just used to being thrown into the deep end.
I would put a trigger warning on the book though due to some very extreme scenes involving death, torture etc.
However, let’s get to the best part - the dragon!! It literally took over the whole book for me and I found it to be the saving grace of this book.
Overall, I found it to be ok.
Would I read Yoon Ha Lee again? Probably.
But this book just wasn’t for me and that’s ok. The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same books.
*Arc supplied thanks to Rebellion Publishing*
Please note that these are only my personal opinions and are not a reflection on the author or anyone who loves this book.
I decided to surprise myself and take on a whole new type of genre.
With so much hype surrounding this book, I was desperate to see what the fuss was about and whether or not this could possibly be a new author for me. Plus that cover - stunning!
I took this fantasy location as based upon Eastern civilisation under occupation by a foreign government.
We follow Jebi, a non-binary artist (the use of pro-nouns to describe the character was fantastic and very much inclusive) and I enjoyed the fact that this was an ordinary person who simply found that they’d jumped a little too deep and were in other their head - something we don’t see that often in fantasy as the MC is usually magical or sting.
I found Jebi hard to connect with and even coming to the end of the book, I still never had a huge connection with them.
There was an ugly side to the book in regards to oppression but that seems to be normal trend in today’s real world so I can fully understand why it was there. It really makes you stop and think, not about the fantasy in the book but about our own reality.
There wasn’t much in a way of building the magic system and I’d have loved to have spent more time getting to understand the sigils which could bring objects to life.
For the first third of the book, I was nervous as I didn’t know where the plot was going or if there even was much of a plot there. But hang in there - it does get better. I guess I’m just used to being thrown into the deep end.
I would put a trigger warning on the book though due to some very extreme scenes involving death, torture etc.
However, let’s get to the best part - the dragon!! It literally took over the whole book for me and I found it to be the saving grace of this book.
Overall, I found it to be ok.
Would I read Yoon Ha Lee again? Probably.
But this book just wasn’t for me and that’s ok. The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same books.
*Arc supplied thanks to Rebellion Publishing*
Please note that these are only my personal opinions and are not a reflection on the author or anyone who loves this book.
softstarrynights's review against another edition
3.0
Phoenix Extravagant is a fantasy book that I picked up on a whim from my library. All I really knew about it was that it was a Goldsboro SFF pick and that I’d seen mixed things about it. I was ready to love it but I realised pretty quickly that this was not going to be the book for me. I was never excited to pick this book up, and I never felt like I wanted to read it. When I did convince myself to pick it back up I did tend to read big chunks of it, which says something about the writing, but I just never felt that desire. I did not like the protagonist, which was a shame because I was interested in reading a non-binary protagonist for the first time, but they were just a bit of a wet wipe. I don’t need my protagonist to be an action man, but I need a bit more. And then came the romance. If you haven’t noticed I’m currently only reading two types of books; fantasy and mystery. Note that I did not include romance in that list. These characters just seemed to suddenly be in a relationship, despite the fact that I don’t think they had much chemistry prior to that. I also found it a little strange that the protagonist was willing to look past loyalties to friends and family because of this person they’d known for two minutes. But like I said, I am absolutely not in the mood for romance at the moment. Overall what really struck me about this book was that it felt like a debut, even though it was not. As you can tell this clearly did not do it for me, but for the most part, it was just fine. It was a story, some things happened, and I’ll probably not think about it again.
asunnybooknook's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars! Soooo stunning and sapphic and wonderful exploration of colonialism and art and magic
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first ever book by Yoon Ha Lee and now I’m wondering why I’ve never read anything before , I was blown away. The writing is fantastic, the world building epic, full of representation (that is normalised and not highlighted, it’s just part of the world and I love it, because it’s how it should be)and it’s just, I’m overwhelmed how much I loved this. The characters, the story, just everything was fantastic, one of my favourite reads this year. Fantasy at its best and purest form
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
hikio123's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Though the story seemed a bit rushed, it had a good pace. I feel like the book could have gained from being longer, and having some of the relationships being better built up before getting to the ending. Some characters felt rushed in, and some were introduced once and never seen again.
The book was good, I did fully enjoy it, but the lack of building up and really making the reader understand the emotional weight of the message they wanted to convey does leave me wishing it had been longer.
The book was good, I did fully enjoy it, but the lack of building up and really making the reader understand the emotional weight of the message they wanted to convey does leave me wishing it had been longer.
emmacatereads's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Yoon Ha Lee has done it once again. It is tempting to compare Phoenix Extravagant to his other prominent work, Machineries of the Empire, which is easily one of my all time favorite science fiction series. In some ways the comparisons are unavoidable, but I did my best to view Phoenix Extravagant as it’s own independent work. And it does stand on its own, quite magnificently. While it doesn’t necessarily carry the same breadth of world-building and action as Lee’s other works, it nonetheless packs a punch in ways that are smaller, subtler, but equally compelling. Lee remains a master of creating relatable and fascinating characters; from Jebi themselves, to Vei, Bongsunga, and even the metal dragon Arazi. The strength of interpersonal relationships amid the complex plot, a keystone of what I admire about Lee’s work, shines in this novel.
Additionally, Phoenix Extravagant struck me as a compelling parable about war, as well as the atrocities of colonization and imperialism, both overt and subtle. While the horror of war and the terrible lengths people will go to justify their actions on both sides was prominent, the subtler tragedies of imperialism felt to me the most impactful—Jebi’s name change and the strife it caused between them and their sister, offhand comments made by side characters about changing cultural norms, the systematic destruction of art for the purpose of war, the looming presence of “the west” though the westerners themselves were mostly a sight unseen. I also found the story a very significant comment on the colonial theft of art through imperialism. As a white American I am obviously not able to directly relate to much of this commentary, but it does allow me to think long and hard about the dark imperialist past of my nation and culture, and the ways (in my opinion) that we are still complicit in the hoarding of cultural artifacts that are not our own—but I digress.
The one thing that bothered me, besides my desire to see more lush worldbuilding, was that sometimes I felt like there was too much going on. While I enjoyed the mention of more explicitly fantastical elements—Fox spirits, celestials living in the sky—they did feel a little bit out of place with the rest of the story. So much else about the magic of the world was gone over in intensive detail that it felt a little bit strange to have these other magical elements included without equivalent background or explanation.
Still, I was inspired and delighted by Phoenix Extravagant, and strongly hope that Lee continues this story in the future.
Yoon Ha Lee has done it once again. It is tempting to compare Phoenix Extravagant to his other prominent work, Machineries of the Empire, which is easily one of my all time favorite science fiction series. In some ways the comparisons are unavoidable, but I did my best to view Phoenix Extravagant as it’s own independent work. And it does stand on its own, quite magnificently. While it doesn’t necessarily carry the same breadth of world-building and action as Lee’s other works, it nonetheless packs a punch in ways that are smaller, subtler, but equally compelling. Lee remains a master of creating relatable and fascinating characters; from Jebi themselves, to Vei, Bongsunga, and even the metal dragon Arazi. The strength of interpersonal relationships amid the complex plot, a keystone of what I admire about Lee’s work, shines in this novel.
Additionally, Phoenix Extravagant struck me as a compelling parable about war, as well as the atrocities of colonization and imperialism, both overt and subtle. While the horror of war and the terrible lengths people will go to justify their actions on both sides was prominent, the subtler tragedies of imperialism felt to me the most impactful—Jebi’s name change and the strife it caused between them and their sister, offhand comments made by side characters about changing cultural norms, the systematic destruction of art for the purpose of war, the looming presence of “the west” though the westerners themselves were mostly a sight unseen. I also found the story a very significant comment on the colonial theft of art through imperialism. As a white American I am obviously not able to directly relate to much of this commentary, but it does allow me to think long and hard about the dark imperialist past of my nation and culture, and the ways (in my opinion) that we are still complicit in the hoarding of cultural artifacts that are not our own—but I digress.
The one thing that bothered me, besides my desire to see more lush worldbuilding, was that sometimes I felt like there was too much going on. While I enjoyed the mention of more explicitly fantastical elements—Fox spirits, celestials living in the sky—they did feel a little bit out of place with the rest of the story. So much else about the magic of the world was gone over in intensive detail that it felt a little bit strange to have these other magical elements included without equivalent background or explanation.
Still, I was inspired and delighted by Phoenix Extravagant, and strongly hope that Lee continues this story in the future.
novella42's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
taserface's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
clarabooksit's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and War